A seven-year study of the response of woodland birds to a large-scale wildfire and the role of proximity to unburnt habitat

Fire is a major ecological driver in many Australian ecosystems, and large-scale wildfires can impact on faunal assemblages at a landscape scale. Monitoring the response of the avian community and individual bird species following a 92 039 ha wildfire in the Pilliga Forest, in temperate inland south-eastern Australia, showed an initial decline in species richness and changes in community composition, followed by gradual recovery. Recovery was not complete by the end of the seven-year study. Eighteen species (including Speckled Warbler Chthonicola sagittata and Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis) were identified as likely to be fire sensitive and nine species (including Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen and Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii) as likely to respond positively to fire at the time scale of this study. Another 11 species (including Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus and Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans) appeared to favour burnt areas close to the fire edge. Guild-level patterns included an overall negative response to fire by insectivores, granivores/frugivores and declining woodland birds and a positive response by predators. The avian community recovered more quickly at burnt sites close to (within 2 km of) the fire edge compared to more remote sites more than 4 km from unburnt habitat, suggesting that proximity to unburnt areas (and therefore fire extent) is likely to be a key consideration in understanding the post-fire recovery of birds.

Automated summary

The study found that large-scale wildfires can have a significant impact on avian communities in Australian inland ecosystems, with different bird species showing varying sensitivities and responses to fire. Post-fire, bird communities undergo a process of declining species richness, changing community composition, and gradual recovery. Recovery is faster in burnt areas closer to the fire edge, highlighting the importance of proximity to unburnt habitats in understanding post-fire bird recovery.